Clogged Drains

While Edmonton’s City Council debates the management of the City’s drainage assets - everything from pipes that carry stinky sewage from people’s homes to those that carry rainwater that pools in gutters along major streets, for most residents the concern is ensuring that the drains in their home are flowing freely to those assets.

Small, infrequent clogs, generally in the kitchen or bathroom, can often be cleared with a plunger and a snake. Recurring clogs, water or sewage backups or offensive smells around plumbing drains are all signs to call in Edmonton’s drain cleaning and plumbing professionals at Fast Service Plumbing and Gas Fitting. Here’s a list of the top four drain clogs, prevention tips, and solutions.

Most bathroom drain clogs result when dirt, skin flakes, and especially hair binds to soap scum on the walls of drain pipes. Over time, this gunk accumulates and reduces water flow. To prevent clogs, clean drain stoppers routinely and use a hair strainer drain-cover to trap hair before it goes down the drain.

Clogged toilets result when people try flushing down items that do not dissolve or break apart in water such as pre-moistened diaper wipes, cotton-tipped swabs, or dental floss. The best preventative for keeping your toilet free from clogs is to only put in waste and paper that readily dissolve in water. Regular cleaning will also keep water flowing smoothly.

Kitchens are an essential part of our home and lives – it’s also where cooking grease, detergent soap scum, un-dissolved food particles (such as rice which expands in water) and all manner of things we dispose of in the kitchen sink, cakes onto drain pipe walls leaving a stubborn, gunky clog. In the future, dispose of large amounts of kitchen grease and oil by letting them solidify, seal it into a plastic bag, and throw it out with the garbage, along with all food particles.

For sinks and tubs, start by blocking the over-flow drain, then as with toilets start plunging, for deeper clogs you may need a snake or hand auger that can reach between 1 to 2 metres down the toilet’s drain pipe to break-up or retrieve things (such as toys) that are blocking the pipe. However, if you’ve poured drain cleaners into ANY drain, don’t plunge or snake a drain - the chemicals can cause serious burns if they splash on your skin. Use drain cleaners only if the sink is draining slowly and not completely clogged.

Finally, after your drain is open, pour 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of white vinegar into the drain to break down any leftover fat deposits and will leave your drain smelling fresh. Then with all openings covered, let it sit for a few minutes and then run another gallon or so of warm water behind it to flush out the mixture.

For residential and commercial drain cleaning, routine plumbing maintenance or repairs, or for an emergency plumber in Edmonton, contact Fast Service Plumbing and Gas Fitting at 780-718-3880 today for dependable service from start to finish in Edmonton, St. Albert, Sherwood Park, and Spruce Grove.